Department for Transport

Monarch Airlines: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the matter of making claims for a contribution towards the cost of repatriating to the UK passengers of Monarch Airlines, they have (1) established the identity of the owners of Monarch Airlines, and (2) obtained confirmation of their willingness to contribute; and whether those owners include (a) Greybull Capital, and (b)Petrol Jersey.

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have engaged with the directors of Petrol Jersey to establish whether that company will reimburse or contribute towards the cost of repatriating customers of Monarch Airlines to the UK.

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is theirestimate of the total cost to the taxpayer of repatriating to the UK passengers of Monarch Airlines; andwho werethe top ten recipients.

baroness sugg: The principal shareholder in Monarch Airlines is Petrol Jersey Limited with the Pension Protection Fund also holding a 10% stake. Greybull Capital is not itself a shareholder in Monarch Airlines but performs an advisory and management role for Petrol Jersey Limited. There is no formal legal mechanism we can use to oblige Greybull to contribute towards the cost of repatriating passengers. However, Marc Meyohas, partner at Greybull has written[1] to the Transport Select Committee acknowledging a moral obligation (if they make a profit) to contribute to other stakeholders including helping to defray the costs incurred by the Government in repatriating Monarch customers. Our initial estimate was that the total costs of the repatriation operation will be around £60 million. We are currently unable to give a final figure as we are awaiting final invoices and cost recovery from third parties. We will be able to report in due course exactly how much the taxpayer has contributed and further detail on the recipients, where this information is not subject to a confidentiality clause. We are focused on making sure that there is clear burden sharing of the repatriation operation, and that it is not only the government who pays. We have entered into discussions with several third parties with the aim of recovering the costs of the repatriation operation. This includes Greybull Capital and relevant card providers and travel providers through which passengers may have booked flights. We will in due course be able to report back with more detail. [1] http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/transport/Response-from-Greybull-Capital-LLP-to-Chair-re-Monarch-Airlines-collapse-24-10-2017.pdf



Letter from Greybull Capital to TSC
(PDF Document, 223.31 KB)

Monarch Airlines: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend topursue the assets of Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAE) in obtaining a contribution to public funds to cover the cost of repatriating customers of Monarch Airlines to the UK; and whether they plan to establish whether(1)MAEis still owned by Monarch Airlines or Greybull Capital, and (2) whether all or part of the capital ofMAE has been sold and, if so, to whom the proceeds were paid.

baroness sugg: Monarch Aircraft Engineering Limited (MAEL) remains a standalone business, which continues to trade, after the Monarch Airlines and Monarch Tour Group entered Administration. We are not aware that there has been any change to the ownership of MAEL or that any shares have been sold in that company. We are focused on making sure that there is clear burden sharing, and that it is not only the government who pays. We have entered into discussions with several third parties with the aim of recovering the costs of the repatriation operation. This includes Greybull Capital and relevant card providers and travel providers through which passengers may have booked flights. We will in due course be able to report back with more detail.

Monarch Airlines: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they asked Greybull Capital, or any other secured creditor of Monarch Airlines, to subordinate their security to grant precedence to HM Government in respect of costs incurred by the taxpayer in repatriating customers of Monarch Airlines.

baroness sugg: There is no formal legal mechanism we can use to oblige Greybull to contribute towards the cost of repatriating passengers. However, Marc Meyohas, partner at Greybull has written[1] to the Transport Select Committee acknowledging a moral obligation (if they make a profit) to contribute to other stakeholders including helping to defray the costs incurred by the Government in repatriating Monarch customers. We have entered into discussions with several third parties, including relevant card providers and travel providers through which passengers may have booked flights, with the aim of recovering the costs of the repatriation operation and will in due course be able to report back with more detail. We are focused on making sure that there is clear burden sharing of the repatriation operation, and that it is not only the government who pays.  [1] http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/transport/Response-from-Greybull-Capital-LLP-to-Chair-re-Monarch-Airlines-collapse-24-10-2017.pdf



Letter from Greybulll Capital toTSC
(PDF Document, 223.31 KB)

Driving Tests

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to maintain equivalence with standard EU driving test requirements following the UK's exit from the EU.

baroness sugg: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) current driving test exceeds the standard EU driving test requirements; we aim to ensure this remain the case in the future, irrespective of EU membership.

Public Transport: Crime

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what categories of crime have (1) increased, and (2) decreased, on (a) railways, and (b) buses, in each year since 2014.

baroness sugg: It is important to consider the following data in the context of an increase in passenger numbers on the railway, with crimes per million passengers remaining relatively low and indeed decreasing from 17.2 crimes per million passenger journeys in 2013/14 to 16.1 in 2016/17. In terms of absolute numbers, on the railways, numbers recorded of violence against the person and sexual crimes have increased each year since 2014. Criminal damage/malicious mischief decreased in 2014 but has increased each year since then. Motor vehicle / cycle crime and robbery both decreased in 2015 and 2016 before increasing in 2017. Public disorder offences increased in 2014, decreased in 2015 and increased in 2016 and 2017. Theft of railway or commercial property / burglary and fraud have decreased each year since 2014. Drug crime increased in 2014 but has decreased in every year since. Theft of passenger property has decreased each year since 2014 apart from a small increase in 2016. The Government does not hold data on crimes on buses, which would be recorded by the local police force.

Monarch Airlines: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have sought a contribution from Vantage Guernsey, an associate of Greybull Capital, towards the cost to the taxpayer of repatriating to the UK passengers of Monarch Airlines.

baroness sugg: There is no formal legal mechanism we can use to oblige Greybull to contribute to the costs of repatriating passengers. However, Marc Meyohas, partner at Greybull has written to the Transport Select Committee acknowledging moral obligation (if they make a profit) to contribute to other stakeholders including helping to defray the costs incurred by the Government in repatriating Monarch customers. We have entered into discussions with several third parties, including relevant card providers and travel providers through which passengers may have booked flights, with the aim of recovering the costs of the repatriation operation and will in due course be able to report back with more detail. We are focused on making sure that there is clear burden sharing of the repatriation operation, and that it is not only the government who pays.

Travel

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Callanan on 25 October (HL Deb, cols 950), whenthey expect to publish their description of a linked travel arrangement;and whether Ministers have met with, or intend to meet with (1) online companies including online providers, and (2)consumer organisations, before determining their description of a linked travel arrangement.

baroness sugg: The Government has published the definition of a Linked Travel Arrangement (LTA) in the recently closed consultation on the updated Package Travel Regulations. The definition has been taken from the EU Package Travel Directive 2015 to ensure harmonisation across Europe. The forthcoming consultation on ATOL regulations, will set out how this will be transposed into UK regulations for holidays that include a flight. The practical points for implementation and operation will be published in the Civil Aviation Authority’s Guidance that will accompany the updated ATOL regulations and the Package Travel Regulations. In developing these proposals and bringing them in to law, Ministers have a full programme of engagement, which includes online companies, tour operators and consumer organisations. In addition, travel companies and organisations such as the European Technology & Travel Services Association (ETTSA), Trading Standards and ABTA, have attended the PTD implementation workshops.

Package Holidays: EU Law

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Callanan on 25 October (HL Deb, cols 950–951), when the regulations associated with the EU Package Travel Directive 2015 will be published.

baroness sugg: Following on from the recently closed consultation on updating the Package Travel Regulations and the successful passage of the ATOL Bill, the Government will publish the proposed regulations that will implement the EU Package Travel Directive 2015 (PTD) into domestic law as soon as possible. The updated ATOL regulations that implement the PTD for package holidays which include a flight, will be published for consultation by the end of this year.

Monarch Airlines: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 2 November (HL2460), whether they intend to seek binding agreements with Greybull Capital and its associates to contribute towards the cost of repatriating passengers booked on Monarch Airlines; and if so, whether those agreements will be published, and what they intend to offer in return for those contributions.

baroness sugg: We have not discussed binding agreements with Greybull Capital and there is no formal legal mechanism we can use to oblige Greybull to contribute towards the costs of repatriating passengers. However, Marc Meyohas, partner at Greybull has written[1] to the Transport Select Committee acknowledging a moral obligation (if they make a profit) to contribute to other stakeholders, including helping to defray the costs incurred by the Government in repatriating Monarch customers. We also have entered into discussions with several third parties, including relevant card providers and travel providers through which passengers may have booked flights, with the aim of recovering the costs of the repatriation operation and will in due course be able to report back with more detail. We are focused on making sure that there is clear burden sharing of the repatriation operation, and that it is not only the government who pays.  [1] http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/transport/Response-from-Greybull-Capital-LLP-to-Chair-re-Monarch-Airlines-collapse-24-10-2017.pdf



Letter from Greybull Capital  to Chair of TSC
(PDF Document, 223.31 KB)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Small Business Commissioner

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the commitment set out in the document Small Business Commissioner: Policy for Secondary Legislation, published in February, that the Small Business Commissioner's complaints scheme will formally begin on 1 October, whether small businesses may now submit complaints; and through what process they can do so.

lord prior of brampton: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 19 October 2017.The correct answer should have been:

On 2 October my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State announced the appointment of Paul Uppal as the UK’s first Small Business Commissioner (SBC). Mr Uppal and his team will provide general advice and information to small businesses on matters such as resolving payment disputes, including signposting small businesses through the SBC’s website to existing support and dispute resolution services. The SBC complaints scheme is dependent on secondary legislation, which is currently being considered by Parliament. Small businesses will be able to submit complaints once the service fully launches, including complaints relating to issues from 1 6 April 2017. The office of the SBC will be operational by the end of 2017, subject to the will of Parliament.

lord prior of brampton: On 2 October my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State announced the appointment of Paul Uppal as the UK’s first Small Business Commissioner (SBC). Mr Uppal and his team will provide general advice and information to small businesses on matters such as resolving payment disputes, including signposting small businesses through the SBC’s website to existing support and dispute resolution services. The SBC complaints scheme is dependent on secondary legislation, which is currently being considered by Parliament. Small businesses will be able to submit complaints once the service fully launches, including complaints relating to issues from 1 6 April 2017. The office of the SBC will be operational by the end of 2017, subject to the will of Parliament.

Natural Gas

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number ofasset closures the UK gas market could withstand without affecting energy prices or security of supply.

lord henley: The UK consistently has one of the largest and most liquid gas markets in Europe with extensive import infrastructure and a diverse range of gas supply sourcesThis winter we forecast 23% more daily capacity than peak demand. We are well placed to manage gas supply risks and any wholesale price impacts.

Electricity Interconnectors

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the continuity in operations of UK interconnectors with continental Europe under the current regulatory framework.

lord henley: Electricity and gas interconnection in the UK is regulated through a combination of domestic legislation, EU regulations and network codes, regulatory licences, and industry codes. These rules provide a robust framework for operation as demonstrated by current flows across the interconnectors, which respond efficiently to market signals. The future of this framework will be subject to negotiations with the EU, and the Government has made clear that we seek to develop a deep and special partnership with the EU on energy. Interconnection benefits countries on both sides of the link, through the value of the energy traded, the increased diversity of energy supply, and the flexibility that interconnectors provide for the electricity system.

Fracking

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Neville-Rolfe on 8 November 2016 stating that the re-injection of waste and produced waters will not be permitted from shale gas wells in the UK, what steps they are taking to inform the public about the possible risks associated with fracking, including those related to water injection.

lord henley: The Government has been clear that shale development must be safe and environmentally sound. The Government believes that early engagement is vital with communities who may host shale gas developments and we acknowledge that public confidence in the process is important to the success of the industry. We are continuously working with the regulators to ensure that the public understand how our regulatory regime works, and with the industry to encourage effective engagement which addresses local communities’ concerns.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

BBC World Service: Finance

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the BBC World Service received in government subsidy in each of the last ten years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Prior to 2013/14 the Government provided the BBC World Service with Grant-in-Aid funding through the Foreign and ​​Commonwealth Office. From 2014/15 onwards core World Service activity was funded through the Licence Fee. In 2015 the Government announced additional funding for the World Service for the BBC World 2020 programme. £291 million will be invested from 2016/17 to 2019/20 to expand provision, including the creation of 12 new language services. New and enhanced services for BBC World Service will provide more people around the world with access to accurate, impartial and independent information.The published BBC figures for government funding to the World Service, including Grant-in-Aid prior to 2014/15 and BBC World 2020 funding from 2016/17, are therefore as follows:Financial Year£m2008/09265.02009/10268.02010/11265.52011/12255.22012/13244.22013/14238.52014/1502015/1602016/1734.02017/1885.0

British Council: Finance

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the operational budget for the British Council in each of the last ten years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Council has provided the following figures from their Annual Reports which reflect the total resources expended for each of the last ten years.  2007-082008-092009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17Total resources expended (£'000)557,402621,579708,083665,321720,413785,333880,410975,880971,3631,085,934Further information on the British Council’s finances are available from their Annual Reports which are online and in the parliamentary library. ​

Palestinians: Politics and Government

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what means they are employing to support and make effective the newly agreed Palestinian Government of National Unity.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Our Consul General in Jerusalem is in regular discussion with the Palestinian Authority (PA) ​about the process of reconciliation, making clear our support for the PA resuming government functions in Gaza and underlining the need for any future Palestinian unity Government to comply with the Quartet Principles: to renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent actions they have taken to help secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from detention in Iran.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I raised all our dual national consular cases, including Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's, with our Iranian counterparts in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September. Last month, the Foreign Secretary once again discussed the importance of these cases with Foreign Minister Zarif and Vice President Salehi, as did the Minister of State for the Middle East in a phone call with the Iranian Ambassador to the UK. Our Ambassador in Tehran also raises these cases at every opportunity.

Kamal Foroughi

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent actions they have taken to help secure the release of Kamal Foroughi from detention in Iran.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I raised all our dual national consular cases, including Mr Kamal Foroughi's, with our Iranian counterparts in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September. Last month, the Foreign Secretary once again discussed the importance of these cases with Foreign Minister Zarif and Vice President Salehi, as did the Minister of State for the Middle East in a phone call with the Iranian Ambassador to the UK. Our Ambassador in Tehran also raises these cases at every opportunity.

Maldives: Capital Punishment

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any,they have made to the authorities in the Maldives not to resume use of the death penalty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK Government has engaged at Ministerial and official levels to urge the Government of the Maldives to reverse its decision to lift its de facto moratorium on the death penalty.The Foreign Secretary wrote to the President of the Maldives on this matter on 29 August, as did my colleague the Minister for Asia and the Pacific on 31 August. The former Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Alok Sharma MP, also raised this issue with the Maldivian Minister for Foreign Affairs when they met at the UN Human Rights Council in February. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2016 Human Rights and Democracy report highlighted our concerns, including upholding death sentences against minors.We have consistently made clear our opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. It is a violent and ineffective form of punishment that has no deterrent or protective value​.

Northern Cyprus: Recognition of States

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Matthew Kidd, the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus, was acting on ministerial instructions when he publicly stated that recognition of the TRNC would be “dangerous”; whether they have repudiated recognition of the identity of Turkish Cypriots; and whether they intend to take any action, including disciplinary action.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst the Government recognises the Turkish Cypriot community, we do not recognise the self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus". The Government is bound by relevant UN Security Council Resolutions condemning the Turkish Cypriot unilateral declaration of independence from the Republic of Cyprus. In a recent interview the British High Commissioner to Cyprus commented on how best to create conditions of security for the inhabitants of Cyprus, including the Turkish Cypriots. As he said, the Government continues to believe that a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus is the best means of resolving the difficulties caused by partition of the island for all its inhabitants, including matters relating to security. The High Commissioner enjoys the full and total confidence of Ministers.

Hamas

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what status they give to the political wing of Hamas; and what plans they have for dialogue with the newly formed unity government in Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK proscribes the military wing of Hamas, but does not proscribe its political wing. Our policy on Hamas remains clear: Hamas must agree to the Quartet Principles: renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. We expect to see credible movement towards these conditions, which remain the benchmark against which its intentions should be judged. We welcome the reconciliation agreement which will see the Palestinian Authority resume administrative control of Gaza, and are monitoring the situation closely.

Gaza: Visits Abroad

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Government Ministers have applied to visit Gaza since 2014; and how many Ministers have been granted access.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​According to records held by our Consulate-General in Jerusalem, three Ministers have visited Gaza since 2014. We do hold information on the number of Ministers that applied to visit Gaza.

Cabinet Office

Lobbying: Charities

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement byLord Bridges of Headley on 8 February 2016 (HLWS502), whether the policy announced in relation to the lobbying operations of charities applies to tax monies paid to charities in return for commissioned services.

lord young of cookham: The policy referred to in the written statement (HLWS502) was subsequently withdrawn and replaced through a wider policy to introduce a set of Minimum Standards for Government Grants, which were published on GOV.UK on 2 December 2016.The Standard guidance states that departments are required to ensure details of eligible expenditure are included in all their grants agreements. They should also include items of expenditure that are expressly ineligible. The terms of these agreement must be sufficiently clear, to provide assurance that the grant is only used for the purposes for which it was awarded. The expectation is that paid for lobbying - unless a requirement of the grant - and attempting to exert undue influence using taxpayer funding, will always be precluded under those terms.The Standards policy applies only to all general grants including those made either wholly or partly using Exchequer funding.

Suicide: Young People

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people below the age of 26 took their own lives in each of the last ten years.

lord dobbs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in full-time education took their own lives in each of the last ten years.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and I will place a copy of their letter in the Library of the House.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 136.43 KB)

Civil Servants: Midlands

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to re-locate civil servants from London to (1) Birmingham, (2) the West Midlands, and (3) theMidlands as defined in the Midlands Engine Strategy.

lord young of cookham: Workforce planning is primarily the responsibility of each department to determine based on their individual operational and policy requirements. Each department has their own spending agreements with HM Treasury and are responsible for ensuring they have the right workforce and capability in place to deliver their commitments.We are consolidating our estate in central London and, since 2010, have reduced the number of offices from 185 to 54. The Public Bodies Relocation Programme seeks to move significant numbers of civil servants and other public servants out of London. This is part of the Government's Industrial Strategy and seeks to help rebalance the UK economy.

Civil Servants: Location

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil servants employed by HM Government had their primary place of work in (1) England, broken down by region, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland, in each year since 2010.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and I will place a copy of their letter in the Library of the House.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 183.63 KB)

Department for International Development

Gaza: International Assistance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much fundinghas beenprovided to Gaza (1) through the Palestinian Authority, (2) directly to the government of Gaza, and (3) through theUN Relief and Works Agency, in each year since 2013–14.

lord bates: (1) Palestinian Authority (PA) For financial years 2013/14 – 2015/16, UK financial assistance to the PA contributed to vetted public servant salaries through the EU PEGASE mechanism, covering both Gaza and the West Bank. From 2016/17 onwards earmarked UK funding to vetted PA health and education public servants’ salaries does not cover the PA’s Gaza payroll. Beneficiary2013/142014/152015/162016/17Palestinian Authority£41.6 million in the West Bank and Gaza£22 million in the West Bank and Gaza£24.8 million in the West Bank and Gaza£25 million in the West Bank only  (2) The Government of Gaza The UK does not fund the de facto authority in Gaza. The military wing of Hamas is proscribed by the UK, and the political wing subject to EU asset freezing legislation. (3) The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Data for DFID’s funding to multilaterals, including UNRWA, is available on the Statistics for International Development (SID) website. SID does not differentiate between DFID’s spend in the West Bank and Gaza. The UK is a long-term supporter of UNRWA’s work in Gaza. We provide yearly core contributions to UNRWA’s Programme Budget which supports the provision of basic services in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Additionally, the UK has previously supported an UNRWA Job Creation programme in Gaza and in 2014, contributed to UNRWA’s Gaza Flash Appeal

Ministry of Justice

Prison Sentences

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are currently serving indeterminate prison sentences in the UK (except Scotland); and how many of those have now served longer than the maximum sentence for the offence for which they were convicted.

lord keen of elie: The number of people currently serving indeterminate prison sentences in England and Wales can be viewed in the table below. Data on the number of people currently serving indeterminate prison sentences who have now served longer than the maximum sentence for the offence for which they were convicted is not routinely collected, so could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Table 1: Number of people currently service indeterminate prison sentences in England and WalesOn 30 September 2017Unreleased10,378Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP)3,162Life (all variations) (1)7,216Recalled1,177Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP)792Life (all variations) (1)385 (1) Includes mandatory, discretionary, automatic life sentences and those relating to young adults and juveniles held in prison custody.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people currently in prison are (1) citizens of other EU member states, and (2) non-EU citizens.

lord keen of elie: The Government is committed to removing Foreign National Offenders from the United Kingdom, with a record number of over 6,300 removed from prisons, immigration removal centres (IRCs) and the community in 2016/17. As at 30 September 2017, there were 4,125 (non-British) EU nationals in the prison population in England & Wales (including the HMPPS run IRCs); and a further 5,821 non-EU Foreign Nationals.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Housing

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they havemade of the financial effect resulting from the Universal Credit (Housing Costs Element for claimants aged 18 to 21) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 on youth employment figures.

baroness buscombe: Such an assessment has not been made. If the policy has the anticipated effect of encouraging young people to remain in the parental home we would expect a positive impact on employment levels. The fact that such claimants receive a lower level of benefit results in them moving free of the Universal Credit earning taper at a lower level of wages. From that point they keep 100 per cent rather than 37 per cent of every additional £1 they earn, which provides a strong work incentive.

Universal Credit

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government by what methods they make it generally known that Universal Credit applicants can ask for 50 per centadvances, or other forms of emergency assistance, when faced with serious cash problems.

baroness buscombe: Any need for an advance payment or other financial or budgeting support is established at the outset of a claim for Universal Credit. In the initial new claim interview, work coaches are trained to offer personal budgeting support and assess whether claimants need help to manage until their first Universal Credit payment. We have taken steps to increase awareness of this support by amending guidance to ensure that claimants are aware at the start of their claim of the maximum amount they can receive and repayment period as an advance.

Universal Credit

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what was the (1) shortest, (2), median, and (3) longest, delay in days in paying Universal Credit, in each of the last four quarters of the financial year for which figures are available; whether those figures are based on all Universal Credit payments or payments to a representative group of applicants; and if the latter, what was the size of that group, and how was it composed.

baroness buscombe: We do not have payment timeliness data broken down to the characteristics being requested. The latest data, published on 2 October on gov.uk, provides the most up to date information on payment timeliness and methodology, and is attached.



Universal Credit Payment Timeliness Data
(PDF Document, 292.8 KB)

Children: Poverty

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the forecast made by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in October that child poverty will increase by 4 per cent in southern England, and by 8 per cent in the Midlands, Wales and the North; and whether they intend to take remedial action.

baroness buscombe: Employment is key to helping people out of poverty and our welfare and tax reforms are designed to support people into employment. Employment is at historically high levels and the number of children living in a family where no one is working is 608,000 lower than it was in 2010. This Government is committed to action that will make a meaningful difference to the lives of the most disadvantaged children and families. Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, published on 4 April, set out a framework for a continued focus on improving children’s outcomes, now and in the future. A copy is attached.



Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families
(PDF Document, 1.06 MB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

lord taylor of goss moor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of agricultural support payments per capita in real terms in (1) Cornwall, (2) Devon, and (3) England, ineach year since 2010.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Rural Payments Agency makes agricultural support payments to eligible farmers in England. The following figures represent the total direct aid paid to Cornwall, Devon and England for 2015 and 2016 under the Basic Payment Scheme; and for each year between 2010 and 2014 under its predecessor, the Single Payment Scheme. The average payment value represents that paid to eligible claimants for each year. Data is relevant to the claimant populationSPS scheme 2010 - 2014 YearEnglandDevonCornwall and Isles of ScillySPS GBPNumberSPS GBPNumberSPS GBPNumber20101,781,954,062104,285£ 98,514,5419,353£ 52,546,3854,77520111,787,132,090104,007£ 98,169,4199,357£ 52,727,5074,75920121,649,543,922103,899£ 90,430,0119,350£ 48,462,2494,73820131,673,641,321103,109£ 91,655,2399,309£ 49,139,3014,70620141,538,089,242101,584£ 83,316,8229,117£ 44,847,0684,657 BPS scheme 2015 - 2016 YearEnglandDevonCornwall and Isles of ScillyBPS GBPVolume PaidBPS GBPVolume PaidBPS GBPVolume Paid20151,407,810,70486,93177,634,8767,710£ 40,476,4543,88120161,650,041,39585,31690,852,4077,582£ 47,830,6013,796 Average per claim (both schemes) YearSchemeEnglandDevonCornwall and Isles of ScillyAverage Per ClaimAverage Per ClaimAverage Per Claim2010SPS£17,087£10,533£11,0042011SPS£17,183£10,492£11,0802012SPS£15,876£9,672£10,2282013SPS£16,232£9,846£10,4422014SPS£15,141£9,139£9,6302015BPS£16,195£10,069£10,4292016BPS£19,340£11,983£12,600

Fly-tipping: Fines

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to introduce heavier fines for those convicted of fly-tipping, including seizure of vehicles.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Sentencing Guideline for environmental offences was reviewed and strengthened in 2014. The maximum penalty for indictment for fly-tipping is imprisonment of up to five years or a potentially unlimited fine. The Government will continue to provide information to the Sentencing Council as they monitor the impact of the guidance. In 2015 we gave local authorities stronger powers to stop and seize vehicles of those suspected of fly-tipping and vehicle seizures have increased in 2016/17 by 34% from the previous year. The Government is committed to tackling fly-tipping on a number of fronts. We have given local authorities the power to issue fixed penalty notices for small scale fly-tipping in addition to search and seizure powers. It is the responsibility of local authorities to use the powers available to them. The National Fly-tipping Prevention Group has published guidance for local authorities which sets out clearly the powers available to local authorities and other partners when tackling fly-tipping.

Minerals: Coastal Areas

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhavemade of the strength of environmental considerations when considering the further development of coastal mineral extraction.

lord gardiner of kimble: In the English marine area dredging to extract aggregates, including sand, gravel, and other marine minerals, from the seabed requires a licence from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).The MMO scrutinises every application to ensure that no unacceptable impacts will arise as a result of any permitted aggregate dredging operations. All applications must, therefore, contain sufficient data on which to base an informed decision. A number of assessments, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Coastal Impact Study (CIS), are undertaken to support aggregate dredging applications. The CIS assumes a “worst case scenario” and includes information on wave modelling, sediment transport and an assessment of the possibility of adverse effects on the coastline.Should a licence be granted, the site will also be subject to a programme of monitoring throughout the duration of the licence, in order to validate conclusions from EIA and CIS. Should any unacceptable environmental impacts be identified during monitoring, the licence can be varied, suspended or revoked.

Aggregates: Recycling

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the amount of recycled products used in aggregates produced in the UK.

lord gardiner of kimble: We do not collect this data as there is no domestic or EU legislation that obliges it and we do not want to burden business with unnecessary reporting requirements.

Charter of the Forest

baroness royall of blaisdon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mark the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest.

lord gardiner of kimble: We recognise the significant environmental, economic, and societal benefits that trees provide, with planting more trees at the heart of our work to protect the environment for future generations. Looking to the future, we remain committed to being the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it and we will deliver this through an ambitious 25-year environment plan. The government made no specific plans to mark the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest.

Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference

lord hague of richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement they intend to have with (1) non-governmental organisations, and (2) the private sector, during the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference 2018.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK Government is engaging with non-governmental organisations and the private sector in advance of the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference 2018. Our cross-sector engagement in the build-up to and at the conference will ensure we deliver ambitious goals and effective partnerships for globally coordinated action to combat the illegal wildlife trade.

Ivory: Smuggling

lord hague of richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the issue of the illegal trade in ivory will be discussed at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2018.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Prime Minister has announced the four themes that the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will focus on: prosperity, sustainability, security and fairness. The UK Government is working closely with Member States and the Commonwealth Secretariat to examine options for the summit agenda. The UK Government recognises the need for robust action to protect elephants, one of the world’s most iconic and treasured species. That is why the Government announced its proposals on 6 October to introduce a total ban on UK sales of ivory that could contribute either directly or indirectly to the continued poaching of elephants, with some carefully defined and narrowly targeted exemptions.

HM Treasury

Insurance Premium Tax

baroness golding: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the level of insurance premium tax.

lord bates: The Government keeps all taxes under review. Decisions on taxation are a matter for the Chancellor and are considered as part of the Budget process.

NHS: VAT

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many approvals have been given to financial models that allow wholly owned subsidiaries of NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts providing services to the NHS Trust or Foundation Trust that owns them to be establishedin order to claim VAT refunds.

lord bates: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not have a role in specifically approving business models used by NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts. It is HMRC’s role to collect the taxes that are legally due, including VAT.

NHS: VAT

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Mel Stride MP on 12 September (HC8140), why HMRC does not hold information on VAT revenues from NHS bodies at a sufficient level of detail that it would enable them to calculate how much revenue is lost as a result of NHS organisations setting up subsidiary companies with the purpose of reducing their VAT payments.

lord bates: Successive governments have aimed to keep the cost to businesses of VAT administration to the minimum necessary for HM Revenue and Customs to risk assess and assure tax receipts. HMRC routinely receives and maintains the information supplied on the 9 box return of a business, but not detailed information in respect of their suppliers and customers. However, businesses must retain for six years business records with that level of detail, and make these available for inspection.

Enterprise Investment Scheme

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for revising the Enterprise Investment Scheme; and what assessment they have made of the economic impact of any future reductions in support available through that scheme.

lord bates: The consultation Financing Growth in Innovative Firms set out the vital role the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) plays in incentivising investment into early stage, high-growth firms. In 2015-16 more than 3,400 companies raised £1.9 billion through the scheme. The consultation also noted an ongoing issue of low-risk ‘capital preservation’ investments structured around the relief and asked an open question about how best to target the relief to ensure it helps innovative, high-growth firms receive the investment they need. The government will set out its response to the consultation in the Budget.

Work Experience: Minimum Wage

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in each year since 2010,how many complaints were referred to HMRC from (1) ACAS,(2) Citizens Advice, and(3) individuals, relating to workers being unpaid orpaid less than the National Minimum Wage forinternship roles; how many of those complaints were investigated by HMRC; and how many resulted in a prosecution against an employer.

lord bates: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) only holds data on referrals that resulted in an investigation being opened. HMRC began receiving complaint referrals from Acas on 17 March 2015. From this date until 31 March 2016 HMRC opened 6 investigations relating to interns that were referred by Acas. HMRC began receiving complaint referrals from Citizens Advice from September 2016. HMRC has recorded no investigations opened after referral from Citizens Advice that specifically relate to interns. The following numbers of investigations were opened as a result of direct complaints in relation to interns from 1 April 2010 to 17 March 2015: YearInvestigations opened from direct complaints2010/1102011/12302012/13282013/14442014/15562015/165 HMRC has recorded no prosecutions in relation to interns and the National Minimum Wage.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representationsthey havemade to the European Commission about its representatives meeting UK Parliamentarians who are proposing different Brexit policies from Her Majesty's Government.

lord callanan: The Government does not provide assistance to MPs to set up non-Governmental visits with the Commission unless it helps to fulfill Government or Foreign and Commonwealth Office objectives. Meetings are directly set up by the MPs in question or the National Parliament Office in Brussels. Additionally, it is not for the Government to comment on the European Commission’s private meetings.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: Israel

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of increased trade opportunities with Israel following the UK’s exit from the EU.

baroness fairhead: As we prepare to leave the EU, we will seek to transition all existing EU trade agreements and other EU preferential arrangements. This will ensure that the UK maintains the greatest amount of certainty, continuity and stability in our trade and investment relationships for our businesses, citizens and trading partners.In March 2017, the UK-Israel Trade Working Group was launched, aiming to strengthen the trade and investment relationship between the two countries and ensure a smooth transition, as we leave the EU.

Department of Health

Abortion: Northern Ireland

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what account they took of patient safety and the findings of recent Care Quality Commission reports that Marie Stopes International clinics had been in serious breach of safety guidelines, when deciding to extend the scheme under which free NHS abortions are made available to women from Northern Ireland to include the provision of free travel tothose clinics.

lord o'shaughnessy: Clinics run by Marie Stopes International (MSI) continue to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and approved by the Secretary of State to perform abortions. We are aware that CQC inspections raised serious concerns about compliance by MSI clinics with requirements set by the Department and the CQC. MSI are continuing to take a range of actions to address the issues identified in the CQC’s reports. The CQC re-inspected MSI earlier this year and has made clear that they will not hesitate to take further action if necessary, in order to guarantee MSI meets the standard of care they expect and that its patients deserve. The Department continues to closely monitor the situation with particular regard to the statutory approval responsibilities of the Secretary of State.

Drugs: Misuse

lord patel of bradford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of reports that drug-related deaths are increasing in the areas of England where cuts to drug treatment budgets have been among the greatest, whether they intend to establish a national inquiry and action plan to tackle this issue in order to reduce the number of deaths.

lord o'shaughnessy: Public Health England (PHE) led an inquiry last year into the rises in drug-related deaths. The inquiry report, Understanding and preventing drug-related deaths: The report of a national expert working group to investigate drug-related death in England, was published on 9 September 2016 and a copy is attached. The Government is investing over £16 billion over the current five-year spending review period for local authorities (LAs) to spend on public health. LAs are responsible for making decisions on how to spend their local allocation, but the public health grant conditions make it clear that they must have regard for the need to improve the take up of and outcomes from their drug and alcohol misuse treatment services. Whilst there is considerable variation across the country, with some regions showing large increases in recent years, PHE will continue to support LAs in delivering tailored, accessible and effective services where people stand the best chance of recovery.



Understanding and preventing drug-related deaths
(PDF Document, 356.37 KB)

Aphantasia

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they recognise the condition Aphantasia; and, if so, what support is offered to sufferers.

lord o'shaughnessy: Recognition and classification of disorders is a matter for clinicians and academics in the relevant field. Relatively little is known about aphantasia and the impact it may or may not have on health and wellbeing. If someone believes they may have the condition and it is impacting on their health and wellbeing they should discuss this with their general practitioner.

Out of Area Treatment: Channel Islands

lord beith: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that NHS Trusts have been advised to charge residents of Channel Islands 150 per cent of the cost of specialist treatments received at English hospitals.

lord o'shaughnessy: The United Kingdom has a residence based health care system, and entitlement to free National Health Service care is largely based on being ordinarily resident in the UK, or being otherwise exempt from charge under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015, as amended the Charging Regulations. A person who is not ordinarily resident in the UK (an overseas visitor) is subject to the Charging Regulations, which require providers of NHS relevant services to make and recover charges from overseas visitors unless an exemption category in the Charging Regulations applies. Since April 2015, it is a requirement when making these charges to apply a charge of 150% of the national tariff to those overseas visitors who are resident outside the European Economic Area, including those resident in the Channel Islands.

Health Services: Republic of Ireland

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they claimed in EEA medical costs from the Republic of Ireland under (1) Article 93, (2) Article 94, and (3) Article 95, during activity period 2016–17.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department, on behalf of the United Kingdom Government, reimburses other European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland for the cost of providing treatment to people we are responsible for under European Union law, based on pension and benefit eligibility and irrespective of nationality. In the same way, other EEA countries and Switzerland reimburse the Department, on behalf of the UK Government, for the cost of the NHS providing treatment to people they are responsible for under EU law, irrespective of nationality and including UK nationals insured in another EEA country or Switzerland. Requested figures for 2016-17, the latest available, are provided in the following table, rounded to the nearest pound. Member states can submit claims up to 18 months in arrears so claims for any 12 month period do not necessarily reflect treatment provided in that period. CountryArticle 22.1cArticle 93Article 94Article 95TotalIreland£6,445,232£7,166,070£0£4,865,850£18,477,152 Source: Resource Accounting and Budgeting exercise. Totals are based on estimates of the costs of EEA healthcare claims made annually for the purposes of provisions made in the Department of Health accounts in accordance with HM Treasury resource accounting rules.Notes: Article 93 claims are combined claims for healthcare costs relating to temporary visitors (via European Health Insurance Cards), workers temporarily posted abroad by their employer, referrals for treatment in other EEA countries, or equivalent claims calculated on a formula basis under bilateral arrangements. Due to the nature of the claims system between member states, it is not currently possible to disaggregate the data consistently for all member states by either type of claim or type of treatment.Article 94 claims are healthcare costs relating to dependents of workers not resident in same member state as the worker.Article 95 claims are for healthcare costs relating to pensioners and dependents of pensioners.Article 22.1c refers to patient referral claims.